Calling all Pacific Northwest CKI Alumni

January 24, 2010
Calling all Pacific Northwest CKI Alumni

The first annual meeting of the new PNW Circle K (CKI) Alumni Association will be held at the Best Western Executive Hotel, Seattle WA, on February 19‐21, 2010, in conjunction with the PNW CKI District Convention. First Lady Kristina Thalacker (EWU CKI 1992-96)  is coordinating this event. 

REGISTRATION FORMS:

PDF registration form:
http://governorpatrickewing.com/cki-alum-reg.pdf

MS Word registration form:
http://governorpatrickewing.com/cki-alum-reg.doc

Pacfic Northwest CKI Board Meeting a Success

January 24, 2010
Pacific Northwest CKI Board Meeting a Success

The Pacific Northwest District Board of CKI (Circle K International) met at Pacific Lutheran University (PLU) on the weekend of January 22-24, 2010.  I attended with First Lady Kristina Thalacker, District Administrator Tom Bryant, and Assistant Administrator (Finance) Dick Rust.  Governor Cale Middleton kept the Board meeting going, combining business, team-building exercises, and fun.  The Board made plans for District Convention (February 19-21) in Seattle WA, and it’s shaping up to be a great convention!  Great job Cale and all our CKI leaders on an excellent board meeting.

Victoria Kiwanis Turns 90

January 16, 2010
Victoria Kiwanis Turns 90

On Saturday, January 16, 2010,  I attended a celebration of the 90th anniversary of the founding of the Kiwanis Club of Victoria BC, the 198th club in Kiwanis International.   BC’s Lieutenant Governor, the Honourable Steven L. Point, OBC, was the keynote speaker.  He is the Queen’s representative in BC, and prior to becoming a provincial court judge, he was a Kiwanis member with a legal practice in Chilliwack BC!  He still has a Kiwanis heart, as he spoke of the need to address literacy challenges in remote BC communities.

Victoria-area Kiwanis clubs came to help celebrate, including several members of the University of Victoria CKI Club (which is sponsored by the Kiwanis Club of Victoria).  Letters of congratulations were received from me (as Governor), International Trustee Randy Delay, International President Paul Palazzolo, the Mayor, and the Prime Minister.  It was a very pleasant evening for all.

Governor’s Message to Lieutenant Governors

January 14, 2010
Lieutenant Governors,

Happy New Year!  I hope you all had a wonderful holiday.  I would just like to offer you a few reminders/updates:

1. Zone Conferences 

• President Paul Palazzolo has asked me to encourage every Pacific Northwest club to hold a membership recruitment campaign in May.  If you would like your Zone Conference to be a full Growth Conference or if you would just like to have sessions on topics such as How to Recruit, please let me know or refer to the District Directory for the contact information of our district’s Membership Team. 
• *** Please send the registration form for your Zone Conference to the district office as soon as possible so it can be posted online. ***
• Zone Conference dates and locations can be found at http://www.pnwkiwanis.org/PNWKIResources/zoneconference.html.  I will be attending conferences for Zones A, C, D, F, G, H, and K, and Governor-Elect Frank Morehouse will be attending Zones B, E, I, J, L, and M.  Please make sure we have one hour in the morning to speak to the full body of attendees.
• As you are planning your Zone Conference, don’t forget to include equal time within a general session time for the Governor-Elect candidates to give their candidacy speeches.  If a candidate cannot attend your Zone Conference, please allow their designate the same opportunity to speak on the candidate’s behalf.

2. New Communication Tool

Cleve and I each have established blogs (web-based logs) to provide information about events and matters of interest to Kiwanians:

• Governor’s Blog (“Light a Fire”): http://pnwkiwanis.org/blog2/ (note: the latest update includes information about Haiti)
• District Secretary’s Blog: http://pnwkiwanis.org/blog1/

3. Growth Starts Now

If your division’s membership numbers are not that strong so far this year, a great way to ensure membership growth is to build a new Kiwanis club.  Please let New Club Building Chair David Evans (dave.evans@telus.net) know if you are thinking about building a club this year; he can help you get started.  Remember that there are people available to help you with all aspects of growth, including:

• New Club Building: David Evans at dave.evans@telus.net
• Recruitment: Greg Holland at hgcltd@shaw.ca
• Retention: Emil “Swede” Nyberg at emilnyberg@msn.com
• Club Satellites: Ken “Bear” Brink at brinkkd@olympus.net
• Diversity: Michele Campbell at michele91754@comcast.net
• Marketing & Public Relations: Shirley Hopper at dshopper@oregontrail.net

4. Midwinter Conference

Midwinter will be held March 5-7 in Bellingham WA – Special guest: Past International President Don Canaday will give a special presentation on the nuts and bolts of how to recruit new members (anyone who is interested is welcome to attend; details to come).  This conference will deal with a number of important issues, including: a possible dues increase, the treatment of dues and administrative funds, standing rules for House of Delegates, standing rules for Board meetings, approval of new Administrators for CKI and Builders Club (effective April 1^st), and proposed changes to the Bylaws.

5. Succession Planning

Do you know who will be leading your district next year?  Will you have candidates running for Lt. Governor and Lt. Governor-Elect?  The first Zone Conferences will be held in less than two months; don’t wait till then to start talking to Kiwanians in your division who have the leadership potential.

6. International Convention

Be sure to register before JANUARY 31^ST to get a signficant discount on your 2010 registration – http://sites.kiwanis.org/VegasICON2010/home.aspx.   Vegas is going to be a great convention!  Don’t miss out on this opportunity to cheer Sylvester Neal on as he is installed as Kiwanis International President, to elect new International officers, to find out what our next Worldwide Service Project is (could it be SIGN?), to enjoy fellowship with Kiwanians from around the globe, and to enjoy Jay Leno, Colin Powell, Jerry “The Beav” Mathers, Cirque du Soleil and much more.

7. Upcoming Meetings

• CKI District Convention – February 19-21 in Seattle WA
• Midwinter Conference – March 5-7 in Bellingham WA
• Zone Conferences – Various Dates and Locations
• Key Club District Convention – March 26-28 in SeaTac WA
• Aktion Conference – May 14-16 in Spokane WA
• Lieutenant Governor Training – June 4-6 at Mt. Hood Kiwanis Camp
• International Convention – June 24-27 in Las Vegas NV
• District Convention – August 26-29 in Spokane WA

8. A Final Word

I cannot thank you enough for all you are doing for Kiwanis and for your clubs.  You are true leaders in our organization – providing support and working with club officers to make sure they have the resources they need to be successful.  Participating in our District board meetings is very important to the management of this district, but where you truly shine as a leader is when you help others be successful. 

Make sure you are keeping in contact with your clubs and offer your assistance when they need it.  Encourage them to take advantage of resources and events such as Club Leadership Education and Zone Conference.  Set a good example by maintaining a positive attitude and praising others for their efforts.  Remember that you can draw on the knowledge, experience and support of our many district chairs, administrators, past Governors, and past Lt. Governors.  Show that you’re having fun and encourage your clubs to have fun with their meetings and projects.  Let’s make this a positive year, a great year to be in Kiwanis!

Yours in Service,

Patrick Ewing
2009-2010 Governor
Pacific Northwest District of Kiwanis International

www.pnwkiwanis.org
WE LOVE TO SERVE

Help for Haiti – Update

January 14, 2010
Help for Haiti

For clubs interested in providing assistance to those impacted by the earthquake in Haiti:

1. Kiwanis International Foundation

“Thank you for your inquiries regarding Kiwanis International Foundation disaster relief to Haiti. The Kiwanis International Foundation board is meeting this week, and this topic was discussed yesterday by its Finance Committee members.

While we no longer establish a reserve funds for specific disasters, the presidents of Kiwanis International and the Kiwanis International Foundation can act together to invite contributions to the KIF’s general disaster relief fund. Then, the foundation can vote to make a grant to the disaster in question. I believe Presidents Paul Palazzolo and Elmer Austermann will discuss this matter, and will decide if an appeal will be posted on our respective Web sites.

Our thoughts and prayers are with those in Haiti. Your deep concern for their welfare is deeply appreciated.

Linda Brimmer, Executive Director, Kiwanis International Foundation”

2. SIGN (Surgical Implant Generation Network)

From SIGN: 

“SIGN is preparing to travel to Haiti to treat the victims of the devastating 70 magnitude earthquake that struck Monday, January 12 [sic].   SIGN has two programs in Haiti, including one in Port-au-Prince, which suffered catastrophic damage from the quake.  The United Nations has estimated that as many as 3 million people – a third of Haiti’s population – may be in need of assistance. The people of Haiti are desperate for help and SIGN is responding. We’ll be taking large shipments of implants and other orthopaedic equipment to Port-au-Prince within a matter of days. But we need your support to meet the needs of the people. We ask for your prayers and contributions for the people of Haiti. Visit the SIGN web site today for more information www.sig n-post.org 451 Hills Street Suite B, Richland, WA 99354 509.371 1107

An article on SIGN’s involvement can be found at: http://www.tri-cityherald.com/kennewick_pasco_richland/story/861998.html

3. Kiwanis Foundation of Canada

The Kiwanis Foundation of Canada is partnering with UNICEF Canada in the relief effort in Haiti. A grant from our Disaster Relief Fund will be directed to UNICEF. Clubs and individual Canadians across Canada are encouraged to consider making their contributions through UNICEF also. The Government of Canada announced on January 14 that it will match the contributions of individual Canadians to this relief effort on a dollar-for-dollar basis.  More details of this UNICEF & Kiwanis Foundation of Canada joint effort will follow shortly. In the interim, we encourage all Clubs to make a commitment and direct funds through UNICEF Canada.

Chuck McIlravey, President, Kiwanis Foundation of Canada

Haiti Help

January 13, 2010
Kiwanis-Supported SIGN to Help Haiti
This email (below) was forwarded to me from SIGN Co-Chair Ralph Curran.  SIGN (the Surgical Implant Generation Network) is strongly supported in the Pacific Northwest District and is a candidate to be Kiwanis International’s next World-Wide Service Project.  If you want information on SIGN, what SIGN will be doing in Haiti, and how you can help, visit www.sign-post.org

Dear All,

Lew [Zirkle] and I have been asked to fly to Haiti this weekend to help with the disaster relief in Port au Prince. So we are cancelling our trip to Cambodia and VN in order to continue our goal for SIGN being a first responder.

To that end, we are hustling to get our equipment pulled together to get ready to go. SO if I don’t show up at the meeting today it is because I am needed back at the ranch to tie up loose ends.

Please pray for the families and injured in Haiti. As with all disasters, it is very chaotic there right now and medical help is not getting to the damaged areas due to severe traffic and communications problems.

Jeanne

Welcome to my Governor’s Blog!

I am hoping to use this as more than a travelog but as a way to share information of use to clubs and members.  I hope that you will check in once in a while and catch up on Kiwanis news.

Patrick Ewing
2009-2010 Governor of the Pacific Northwest District of Kiwanis International

January 10, 2010
Recruiting 101 
Jim Courtright gave an excellent presentation in Surrey BC on Sunday, January 10, 2010, on the nuts and bolts of how to ask someone to join Kiwanis.  While he approached it from a perspective of building a new club, the same strategy can be used to expand an existing club.  There were about 30 attendees from Divisions 11, 13, and 18.   We plan to hold similar sessions later in the year in other parts of the district, including a session at Midwinter Conference (March 5-7, 2010).  If you would like training on how to recruit to be part of your Zone Conference, let your Lt. Governor know. 

January 11-12, 2010
Coming Soon: Kiwanis Club of Surrey North
New Club Building Chair (and Division 11 Lt. Governor) David Evans is building a new club in North Surrey, so on Monday and Tuesday (January 11-12, 2010) about 7 of us who were at Jim’s session used our newly-enhanced recruiting skills to invite business leaders to join the new Kiwanis club.  There is more work to be done, but I know David is committed to finishing the process.  If you know of someone in the Surrey area, please contact David Evans in Division 11: www.pnwkiwanis.org/divisions.htm

January 16, 2010
90 Never Looked So Good
On Saturday, January 16, 2010, the Kiwanis Club of Victoria BC will be celebrating its 90th birthday!   I am proud to be a member of a club with such a distinguished history of service to children, families and seniors.  We are very much honoured to have as our distinguished guest speaker the Queen’s representative in British Columbia, the Honourable Steven L. Point, OBC, Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia.  He is a past Chief of the Skowkale First Nation, Grand Chief of the Stó:lo Nation, and provincial court judge.   www.ltgov.bc.ca/ltgov/biography.htm